Surviving Minnesota!

[Bogtown Chick]

Good morning all. Sadie is whining that I should go let the chickens out. She's good at that.

It's going to be a beautiful day above freezing.

 

[lilmynx13]

Morning all my flock of blue jays are out pestering about ( yes flock I seem to have 8 that like my property) saw a pair of cardinals a few weeks ago sad that they don't stay. The doves are out cooing their feathered butts off. those darn grackles and starlings are back the bane of my garden when you see a few you know the whole lot will be here soon. Just one lonely frigid robin I saw in town yesterday. He/she was huddled on a branch. Spring is mostly here.

 

[Cebarmlds]

Red Wing blackbirds are here.

 

[EMorical]

Meadowlarks - Robins - and even a Killdeer sighting for SW ND

 

[holm25]

Robin, Sandhill cranes and Killdeer are back here along with other small song birds. Plus lots of Kestrels and other hawks and eagles.

 

[bantiesrule]

Okay I just did a little Marans Shopping. The Farm down in Chisago sells a dozen BCM eggs for $125.

It's official. I am in the wrong egg business.
I cannot have $125/dozen eggs go to a Kindergarten classroom. F-Oh-Me....

There was a gal over in Long Prairie --Kris-- doing Wheaten Marans, which I have now fallen in love with--Thank you Ed-- but she seems to maybe have closed up shop. Not much internet activity for her since 2014. Website is a blank page.

Kris did sell all her chickens, I believe she was having lots of issues with predators among other reasons. She did have some beautiful birds though. Now her husband and her are raising horses.

I haven't seen any robins yet but some people at work said they are around. They seem to show up in town about a week before I see them out here in the country, don't know why.

 

[lvie]

Well, I understand you who incubate a little more now as I have a broody BO. I just began to collect a few eggs this past weekend, doing all the labeling in case a hen went broody. Copper and Gilda (my BR) and Copper and the CW and Copper and a few Gold Comets. We will see what becomes of this. She is growling at me and pecking at me because of course I had to slip those eggs under her even if it was daylight. I read on Fresh Eggs that she will kick out the unfertile eggs. Have you ever heard of that? So kind of eggiciting. First time for this.

Ruby, my poor plucked half to death RIR is residing in my garage. I began putting her in a kennel at night in the garage because I could not keep her safe, I felt, in either flock. She begins to get feathers and the next thing I know they are gone. I see her once in a while when she comes out from where ever it is she is roosting. I let her out of her kennel during the day, of course, and now she isn't anywhere to be found most of the time. Maybe she will get some feathers back on her. I leave her food and water and leave the garage door partially open during the day. Either she will live or not. I am getting kind of unemotional when it comes to my hens. Never meant to have 19 hens. Especially with at least nine of them not laying. My tune will change when they begin to lay again. Everything needs a break.

 

[EMorical]

Exciting things happening

We moved back to a basically abandoned farmsite....which is great! It's rural, last stop on a dead end gravel road - we have plenty of room for our critters and future critter plans - and it's basically a blank slate. Which also means we have a ton of work to do! Which is great. "The family who cleans up and rebuilds a farm together, stays together" Or something like that ???? haha.

Finally making some progress in our projects! Here's a before and after of my new "coop". And by new I mean 150 years old. I only get half the house to do what I want, my DH decided he needs the other part.



Complete with dead critters....coon poo....and lots and lots of garbage.





Ta- da! Sorry for the goofy panorama but you get the idea

The door on the left is the pathetic room my flock lives in now; the second door leads to a room with the floor caved in and behind the tin is what I have deemed "DH's Room of Crap".



Ta Da!

 

[MinnesotaNice]

@EMorical , that's pretty cool! Those are future goals of mine. When I'm 95, I want to swing life away on an old farm house porch with whiskers coming out of my chin.

I heard the cranes coming home yesterday. Better weather and green grass is coming.

 

[jerryse]

Where is Ralphie ? Hope he got back ok .